It's been 4+ years since the original release of Coldplay's debut album in the UK (the US release would follow in Nov. 2000), and as the phenom called Coldplay is getting bigger and bigger, it's now clear that "Parachutes" is a classic, in every sense of the word. By now, the original 10 tracks of the album all have become so instantly familiar, yet never tiresome. There is of course "Yellow", the US break-through single but for me probably the weakest track on the set. Check out instead "Shiver", "Don't Panic" (with the immortal line "We Live in a Beautiful World"), "Trouble" and Sparks", 4 other singles from the album (all of them still available on Amazon). This import version of "Parachutes" (14 tracks, 56 min.) comes with 4 additional tracks on a separate CD: "Sparks" in the album version (nothing new here), but then also "Careful Where You Stand" which is a b-side from the "Shiver" single, "Yellow" in an accoustic version that in my opinion is actually better than the original version, and the hauntingly beautiful "See You Soon", which originally appeared on the "Blue Room" EP. Both "Careful" and "See You Soon" are essentials in the Coldplay catalogue. We now await Coldplay's new album, which supposedly will come out in Spring 2005. Who knows whether that's gonna be any good, but for sure it's gonna be a monster, and Coldplay is well on its way to be the next U2. Meanwhile, enjoy the humble and intimate debut album which I dare say Chris and the boys will never surpass.
Customer Review: A Breath of fresh air
When I first heard "Yellow" by Coldplay, the thing that caught my attention was how smooth this band's sound was. Upon purchasing the album, I found that I couldn't take it out of my CD player for weeks. Coldplay is definitely a breath of fresh air in the music world. The album follows, almost methodically, a perfect pattern from song-to-song. If you're one who likes to listen to an album all the way through, this album gladly gives you the honor. I recommend it to anyone in need of comfort on a cloudy day.
If you're like many who enjoy the piano, you've probably been mystified as to how someone can just sit down and play without sheet music.
It seems like an impossible feat. But there's a method to the mystery. Pianists who can improvise know what they're doing and understand the fundamentals of improvisation.
Now, if you're a newbie at this, It can be confusing to say the least! So many keys and so many choices! But you won't have this problem if you start out using a few chords and a way to play them.
For example take a look at the lesson Reflections in Water. Here we have a lesson that shows you how to create your own unique music using just 4 chords. The chords are from the Key of C Major and have a very "modern" feel to them.
To play this improvisation is quite easy. The first thing you need to do is familiarize yourself with these chords. Once you get them in your fingers and have committed them to memory - the rest is easy!
We now take these 4 chords and create our improvisation. We use chords, the scale of C Major and the element of time to create with. These are our materials. Much like visual artists who use color and canvas, we musicians use rhythm, harmony, and melody to create with.
We start out with the C Major 7 chord and notice that with this chord structure we get a modern sound right away! No need to start with triads. You can begin your study of piano improvisation with something called the open position chord and get creative quickly.
When you listen to the lesson "Reflections in Water," notice that the music is quite slow. This is done on purpose. My goal was not to rush and come up with something sophisticated. On the contrary, my goal was to show you how easy it can be to simply finger a chord and create music. Something you can achieve if you put your mind to it!
Edward Weiss is a pianist/composer and webmaster of Quiescence Music's online piano lessons. He has been helping students learn how to play piano in the New Age style for over 14 years and works with students in private, in groups, and now over the internet. Visit http://www.quiescencemusic.com now and get a FREE piano lesson!
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